Acetylene-gas generator



(No Model.)

W. MoGRAW. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

Patented May 3,1898.

lNVE/VTOR ATTORNEYS.

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the bottom of the casing, there being a space 7 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM MCGRAW, OF MOUNT AIRY, OHIO.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,535, dated May 3,1898. Application filed June 25, 1897. Serial No. 642,279. (No model.

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MCGRAW, of Mount Airy, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Im provedAcetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a full, clear,"andexact description.

My invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing gas produced fromcalcium carbid, which product is known as acetylene gas, and the objectis to provide a light and ,yet strong generator of this character thatmay be portable or suspended from a fixed support in the manner of achandelier.

I will describe a generator embodying my invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which the figure is a vertical section of agenerator embodying my invention.

The generator comprises a casing 1, of any suitable material and of anydesired configuration. From the upper wall of the casing an inner wall 2extends downward nearly to between said depending wall and the side wallof the casing. Near its upper portion the inner shell or depending wallis provided with a transverse partition 3, having an opening at itscenter, to the wall of whichis affixed a trap-section 4. The wall ofthis trapsection is inclined upward and inward, and held above thistrap-section 4 and spaced therefrom is a trap-section 5.

The upper trap-section 5 supports a watersupply cup 6, and through thebottom of this water-supply cup the water-charging pipe 7 is extended.This water-charging pipe 7 has its upper end extended nearly to the topof the cup 6, and the lower portion of said pipe 7 is extendedhorizontally and designed to rest upon water-cells, as will behereinafter described.

The carbid-container is suspended from the casing or wall 2. As hereshown, this carbid-container has an outer side wall 8 and an inner wall9, the two walls being concentric and spaced one from the other, so asto hold water in the lower part, providing a water seal at the bottom ofthe partition 2, which titions 11, 12, and 13, forming the side walls ofcarbid-ehambers 14, 15, 16, and 17, the other walls of these chambersbeing formed by the inner wall ofthe container 9.

Supported within the container above the carbid-chalnbers is a series ofwater-cells 18, 19, 20, and 21. Each water-cell consists of two chambersdivided by a f u nuel-shapcd partition 22, havinga valve-controlledopening at its apex, and the bottoms of the lower chambers are also madefunnel-shaped and are provided with outlet-ports at their apezt'es fordischarging water into the carbid cells or chambers. The openingsthrough the partitions 22 are controlled by conical plug-valves 23. Thestems of these valves 23 are suspended from levers 21, fulcrumed on rods25, extended ,across the upper chambers of the water-cells. The oppositeondsof the levers 2a are slightly weighted to overbalancethe valves andare also provided with floats 26. The cells are open at the top, and onthe cells 1.9 and 20 is a rest-bar for the pipe 7. Communication betweenthe cell 18 and cell 19 is provided through an opening 27 in theseparating-walls between said cells 18 and 19. Communication is providedbetween'the cells l9'and 20 through an opening 28 in the upper portionof the dividing-wall, and communication is provided between the cells 20and 21 through an opening 29 in the upper portion of the dividing-wall.

The bottom of the casing 1 may be made detachable from the body portion,so that the carbid-container and the water-cells may beremoved for thepurpose of cleaning, rechargin g, orfor other purposes. When these partsare so removed, the upper section 5 of the trap within the gas-receivingchamber 30 will move downward into water in the lower portion of saidgas-chamber, thus preventing the back passage of gas from thegas-cylinder 31. Water maybe poured into the chamber 30 through avalve-controlled pipe 32, and any overflow will discharge through anoverflow-pipe 33,'extended downward along trolled outlet 39.

.34 a valve-con trolled tube 40 extends through the top wall of thecasing 1, and at its inner end this pipe is provided with a water trapcrook 41. The pipe 40 has its outlet directly over the water-cup 6.Therefore it will be seen that the box 34 serves two purposes-that is,for containing water to be supplied to the carbid and also forcondensing the gas as it passes through the coil 35. The box 34 has armsextended from its ends engaging with rods 42, which project upward fromthe casing 1. These rods may beemployed for suspending the devicefrom aceiling or similar support. From the'gas-pylinder 31 any desirednumberof burner-pipes 453 may be extended and of course provided withsuitable gas-burners.

In operation a suitable amount of calcium carbid will be placed in thecells or chambers 14, 15, 16, and 17. Then wateradmitted from the box 34will discharge through the pipe 40 into the cup 6 and overflow into thepipe 7, from which it will discharge into one of the outer water-cells.As here shown, the water will discharge into the cell 18 and will flowthrough the perforations in the bottoms of said cells and into the firstcarbid-cell 14:. Of

course at this time the valve 23 will be held upward by thecounterweight on the opposite end of its supporting-lever. The waterwill,

flow quite slowly into the carbid-cell 14:, and immediately upon thecontact of the water and carbid acetylene gas will be formed. Thisacetylene gas will pass upward between the outer surface of thewater-cells, which, it may be here stated, are supported upon suitablebrackets on the inner wall 9 of the container, and are also centrallysupported by the partition 12. The gas will continue up ward through thetrap-sections 4 and 5, and

, thence-through the pipe 36 and the condenserpipe into the cylinder 31,from which it is taken to the burners.

The valve in the pipe 40 is so constructed that when entirely open waterpasses through it into the trap 6,. and thence into pipe 7, three timesfaster than it can pass through the valve-controlled orifice in thebottom of chamber 18 and into the lower chamber. The opening in thebottom of chamber 18 is so small that only one-third the quantity ofwater passes through it that passes .into the chamber 18 in a giventime. The opening through the bottom of the lower chamber is made in theform of a slot, the length of which is nearly equalto the width of thecarbid-cell under it,

or a series of perforations ,may be employed. By thusmaking the openingthe water will 'be distributed on the carbid, whichwould not be the casewere the lower chamber omitted and the water discharged directly fromthe chamber 18 onto the carbid. The distributing of the water is ofimportance, and it is discharged from the lower chamber nearly as quickas it enters.

It is obvious that the several cells m y be made of any desired size tosuit the length of time that may be required for the burning of thelamp.

After the carbid shall have been consumedv the parts may be separated,cleaned, and again put in condition for generating gas.

Having thus described my invention, I claim' as new and desire tosecure. by Letters Patent- 1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising acasing, a carbid-container therein and having a series of cells,water-cells above the carbid-cells and designed to discharge watertherein, the said water-cells communicating -,one with another, meansfor automatically governing the flow of water through the bottomopenings of the cells, a cylinder for receiving the generated gas, and aburner-pipe extended from said receiver substantially as specified. v

2. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a casing, a carbid-containersupported from said casing and having a number of carbidcells,water-cell's supported in the container and adapted to overflow one intoanother, the said cells having funnel-shaped bottom walls provided withan outlet at the apex for dis charging water into the carbid-cells,means for automatically closing said outlets, a gasreceiving'cylinder, apipe connection between said cylinder and the casing, andacondensingcoil in said connection, substantially as specified.

' 3. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a casing, a double-walledcarbid-container, a wall suspended from the upper wall of the casing andextended between the walls of the container and supporting the same,carbidcells in the container, water-cells supported in the container andhaving outlets for discharging water into the carbid container, meansfor automatically closing said outlets, a horizontal partition at theupper portion of the supporting-wall, a trap-section in said partition,another trap-section above the firstnamed trap-section, a water-cupsupported by said other section, a pipe extended from the upper portionof said cup downward through its bottom and discharging into one of thewaten-cells, a condensing-box supported above the casing, avalve-controlled tube extended 'from said box through the top wall ofthe casing and having a trap-curve at its inner end discharging into thewater-cup, a condensing-coil in the condensing-box and hav- 1 ingcommunication with the interior of the IIO casing, a gas cylinder havingcommunication charge and connections between the cells with saidcondensing-coil, and a gas-burner whereby Water may flow from one cell.into to pipe or pipes also hangng connection with said another,substantially as specified.

cylinder, substantia y' as specified.

' 4. An acetylenegas generator, comprising WILLIAM MOGRAW' a series ofcarbid-containers, water-cells above Witnesses the containers andadapted to discharge there- W. O. BEAM,

in, means for automatically closing said dis- J. W. HUESING.

